MLB stats: Combining contact and exit velocity for MLB’s hardest hitters
By Bill Felber
23. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals, 75.3 mph
Yadier Molina is one of the game’s recognized stars, and – entering his age 36 season – one of the Cardinals elder statesmen. He is justifiably recognized for his durability, which included catching 123 games in 2018 and getting 503 plate appearances.
His official exit velocity was 88 mph. That came in 459 at-bats and resulted in a .261 average plus a ninth All-Star Game appearance. It also represented Molina’s highest exit velocity since the measurement came into existence in 2015; he has generally averaged about 87 mph.
But that exit velocity is made more impressive by Molina’s low strikeout rate. He whiffed only 66 times in those 459 at bats last season. That’s common for Molina, who in his 15-season career has never fanned as many as 75 times in a season.
In fact, his 86 percent contact rate – measured against official at-bats, not all plate appearances – was actually low when measured against his 89 percent career rate. For comparison, the National League contact rate last year failed to reach 75 percent.
The combination verifies Molina’s reputation as a guy who puts bat to ball frequently and hits it hard when he does so. Even scarier for NL opponents, his exit velocity doesn’t appear to be slowing down.